Official MLBlog of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Trying to Extend the Advantage in the North

Brandon Laird takes batting practice on Firday afternoon, after getting hit by a pitch in the shoulder that glanced off his batting helmet in Thursday night’s 5-4 Yankees win. As a precaution, the infielder is not in the lineup for Friday night’s game.

LOOKING TO ADD TO THE LEAD…The Yankees lead Pawtucket by two games in the International League North Division heading into the final game of the “home series” at McCoy Stadium. Scranton/Wilkles-Barre added to their one game advantage with the team’s 28th come from behind win of the season on Thursday night, with some help from the Paw Sox. Two errors, two walks and a hit batsman contributed to three unearned runs in the Yankees seventh inning and lifted SWB to a 5-4 win. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is guarenteed to leave Rhode Island in first place following the Friday night game. With a win in the finale, the Yankees will even their “home” record on the season against Pawtucket to 4-4. The Yankees and Paw Sox will have four games reamaining the regular season against each other with the final four games of the season as road games for SWB from August 31st – September 3rd.

LOOKING FOR BETTER RESULTS…Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will look for better results against Red Sox starter Zach Stewart than what they had in the previous matchup against the Pawtucket right hander. Stewart who came over from the White Sox in the Kevin Youkilis trade makes his second start against the Yankees. In his first outing against SWB at Frontier Field in Rochester on July 31st, Stewart threw 5.0 innings of four hit baseball allowing only one run while striking out a season high eight batters. Darnell McDonald got the only run home for the Yankees against Stewart with his first HR of the season.

LOOKING FOR BETTER RESULTS PART II…Adam Warren makes his fifth career start against the Red Sox on Friday night and is in search of his first career win against Pawtucket. Warren is 0-3 with a 7.89 ERA against the Paw Sox. In 21.2 innings pitched Warren has allowed 28H, 19R, 19ER, with 10BB and 24K’s. He has also allowed 7HR in his four starts against the Paw Sox including three in his first start of the 2012 season at McCoy Stadium on April 25th. Warren allowed 5R (all earned) on 9H in 5.0 innings earning no decision as the Yankees came up with a four run ninth inning to snap Pawtucket’s nine game winning streak with a come frome behind 8-6 win.

Porcupines in Pinstripes

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